Raedler Finishes Fifth in Long Jump at NCAA Championships

Fayetteville, Ark.- The Nebraska track and field team kicked off the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships with three top-10 finishes on Friday evening at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

Patrick Raedler led the Huskers on the first day, posting a fifth-place finish in the men's long jump. He saved his best jump for the final round as he notched a leap of 25-7 ¼ (7.80), securing his top-five finish in the event. The fifth-place showing marked his best finish at an NCAA Championships and closes out a stellar indoor season for the junior, as he captured the Big Ten long jump title just two weeks ago.

Janis Leitis also finished in the top-10 in the men's long jump, posting a leap of 25-4 ½ (7.73) in the third round to finish ninth in the final standings. In the women's long jump, Mara Griva recorded a leap of 19-11 ½ (6.08), coming in 10th.

Oladapo Akinmoladun took to the track in the men's 60-meter hurdles semifinals. He recorded a time of 7.84, but failed to advance to tomorrow's finals.

The Huskers will return to the Randal Tyson Track Center tomorrow for the final day of the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships. James White will start the day for the Huskers in the men's high jump, while Leitis and Griva will compete in the men's and women's triple jump, respectively, at 6 p.m. The men's 4x400 meter relay team will close out the championships at 8:20 p.m. NCAA.com and ArkansasRazorbacks.com will have a live stream of the meet until 6 p.m., while ESPN3.com will take over the coverage for the rest of the day. Live results are available on FlashResults.com.